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December 23, 2012

Autism

If
your child has a developmental disability, such as an autism spectrum disorder,
it’s very unlikely that anything you did, or any specific event, caused his or
her condition. Autism is a complex and not very well understood condition.

Researchers
are working on finding answers, but the questions themselves still aren’t
clear. As a result, the research is fragmented, and many theories are in the
testing stage. Researchers are rapidly gathering data, but in the meantime,
they disagree about how to interpret it. For example, researchers may observe
malfunctions in different processes in the body of an autistic individual, but
they can’t agree on whether a particular problem is a symptom or a cause of
autism. So, debates are ongoing in the medical community about what causes
autism and how to treat it. Here are the facts that all professionals and
caregivers can agree on:

üDevelopmental
disabilities such as autism are brain-based, neurological conditions that have
more to do with biology than with psychology.

üAutism
is the most common member of a family called autism spectrum disorders (ASDs),
also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs).

üAutism
is usually diagnosed by the time a child is 3 years old.

üAutism
is found in every country, every ethnic group, and every socioeconomic class.

üAutism
affects as many as one and a half million people in the United States alone,
with 24,000 children being diagnosed every year. This figure is comparable to
other Western countries.

üAutism
is diagnosed four times as often in boys than in girls.

üOne
in 166 children are being diagnosed with autism in the United States. That
figure has skyrocketed in the last 30 years.

üChildren
who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder need early intervention as
soon as possible.